


Feel Good (I Like It)

by Enigmaforum



Series: When My Heart Beats [1]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Canon Divergence, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, Mentions of Nathaniel Malick, Post Episode: s07e06: Adapt or Die, Sharing a Bed, Spoilers for Endgame, Spoilers for Season 7, mentions of peggy carter - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-12
Updated: 2020-07-19
Packaged: 2021-03-04 17:53:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,246
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25230457
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Enigmaforum/pseuds/Enigmaforum
Summary: It's not the the first time she’s felt something for someone since Lincoln but it’s the first time she felt like it had the possibility to actually turn into something. Something Good.
Relationships: Skye | Daisy Johnson/Daniel Sousa
Series: When My Heart Beats [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1843021
Comments: 50
Kudos: 380





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I was NOT expecting a new ship to come out of this season but HOIST THE SAILS because here we go.
> 
> I started writing this before Episode 07 aired so we're just going to pretend that it didn't happen yet.

Sore.

It was the first thing that came to mind as she felt the rest of her body catch-up to her brain as it started to wake.

The second thing she realized is that she must be back on the Zephyr because _sore_ was a picnic compared to what she remembered feeling like with Nathaniel Malick standing over her grinning like a madman.

She breathed deeply and the thought occurred to her that now she had some insight into what her mother must have felt when she had stared into the eyes of Daniel Whitehall.

The third thing she realized was that for all of her mother’s faults she knew the last thing Jiaying would have ever wanted was for her to experience what she had.

She sighed in relief as she opened her eyes and found herself staring at ceiling of their medical bay with a relived Simmons looking down at her. 

“Welcome back, how are you feeling?”

“Like I got tortured. Again. Can we stop making that a thing?” she grunted as Jemma lowered the sides of the chamber. “How did I get back here? How long have been out? I was with Sousa is he-”

“We were able to detect a series of large tremors that we thought might be you trying to signal us. When we arrived, we found Agent Sousa had carried you out of the collapsing farmhouse and was working on hot wiring a car when he saw us. He sustained some minor injuries that I was able to treat. I made him leave a few hours ago to clean-up and rest. He refused to until he knew you were stable. You’ve been out about twelve hours. We managed to heal most of your injuries but I’m afraid you might still have a scar or two,” Jemma finished with a frown that Daisy waved off.

“What’s one more scar at this point? What did Malick do? I remember blood and needles and glass.”

“According to Agent Sousa Malick was after your blood and spinal fluid. He wanted to steal your abilities.”

“What?” Daisy felt her blood go cold as she looked down at her hands and fought a wave of nausea as she tried to push herself up.

“Breathe,” Jemma ordered as she reached out and helped her the rest of the way. “I ran a battery of tests and as far as I can tell you are still yourself and you still have your powers. They might be weak for the next day or two while you heal but they’re still there. See for yourself. Concentrate.”

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath and then another and another until she felt her hands stretch out and sighed as she felt the tremors in her fingertips. Weak like Jemma said but _there_ and _hers_.

She opened her eyes and smiled at Jemma who reached down to squeeze her hands in reassurance.

“Take it easy with them for the next few days.”

“Will use only in case of emergency,” Daisy promised. “Sousa carried me?”

“He did and then he refused to let any of us help until he’d put you in the chamber himself,” Jemma grinned as she let go of her hands and went back to her work. “The history books all talk about how was an excellent agent and a good man but they left out how strong he is. I’ll let you see the footage later. It was _quite_ a sight.”

“I look forward to it,” Daisy returned the grin. “History books were right about him being a good man too.”

Her memories were clouded with pain and panic but she remembered _him._ She remembered his voice cutting through the fog she’d been in and his hand in her hair, helping her focus long enough to get him what she’d managed to take.

He’d been something good in all of it. He’d been something good ever since they’d plucked him out of his life to join theirs. She didn’t think just anyone would have jumped into the fight like he had.

“I’d expect nothing less from Peggy Carter’s partner,” Jemma told her. “She had impeccable taste after all.”

“She did indeed,” Daisy said and opened her mouth to speak again but cut herself off as Jemma’s amusement turned into a glare. Daisy followed the other woman’s line of sight and felt an immense wave of relief at the sight of Daniel Sousa standing in the doorway looking alive and well.

It was one thing to be told someone was alright and another to see it for yourself.

Also, it amused her to watch someone else fall victim to Jemma’s outrage.

“Agent Sousa, I thought I told you that you were not allowed back into this room until you’ve showered, eaten, _and_ slept for at least six hours. It’s been five,” Jemma said with a very pointed look at the clock on the wall.

“And we both know that I was never going to sleep for that long,” Sousa responded as he took a step into the room and then another. It made Daisy hide a grin at his confidence because even Coulson had been known to wither under Jemma’s looks. “I got four and have done more with less. Instead Enoch was nice enough to help me get a new cane,” she said with a shake at his new equipment before he smiled at Daisy. “It’s good to see you awake Agent Johnson.”

“It’s good to see you out of the handcuffs,” she offered before she turned back to Jemma. “Speaking of, what happened to Malick?”

“He looked dead to me when I walked past him,” Sousa frowned at the statement before he shook his head. “Didn’t get to check for sure. Was more concerned with getting us out of the building before it caved in. He said something about his bones being crushed before a bunch of wood fell on him.”

“Oh,” Daisy rubbed her wrists. “Well that’s what happens when you try to take something that doesn’t belong to you and you don’t understand. I hope it hurt.”

“It sure looked like it did,” he nodded. “Can’t say I’m sorry about it. Also, Agent Simmons when I walked by the others were congregating to discuss to Mack and Deke situation with Enoch. You might want to join before they start yelling again.”

“What Mack and Deke situation?” Daisy asked quickly as Jemma sighed.

“After we recovered you and Agent Sousa the ship jumped into the Nineteen Eighty’s, Mack left to get some air and Deke went to check on him but the ship jumped again before they could return.”

“What?” 

“We’re working on it!” Jemma assured her. “Enoch and I think we can get them back but we need to make repairs.”

“I’ll help, let me,” Daisy tried to swing her legs off the bed only to have Jemma gently press her back down.

“There’s something else.”

“What now?”

“Coulson,” Jemma said and Daisy felt her stomach drop at the look in Jemma’s eyes.

“How?”

“He discovered that there was a Chronicom ship below The Lighthouse. They were using it to replace the Agents there and there was an explosion-”

“He sacrificed himself,” Daisy finished as her heart cracked and Jemma nodded.

“Chances of him turning up?”

“It’s always a possibility with him,” Jemma responded with a watery smile as she reached down to squeeze her hand. “After all, how many impossible things have we seen over the years?”

“Right,” Daisy breathed through the pain and forced it deep into her gut before she choked on it. She couldn’t. Not yet. Focus on the mission. Get Mack and Deke back. Hope Coulson was with them. Grieve later if he wasn’t because she _would_ let him go this time if that was the case. He deserved to rest.

“Anything else I need to be made aware of?”

“No, that’s it,” Jemma told her.

“Ok,” she blinked back the tears in her eyes, cursed them in her head, and then turned to Jemma and squeezed her hand back. “I want to help with repairs.”

“You need to rest today. Do that and you can help with them tomorrow.”

“Promise?”

“I promise,” Jemma told her as she pulled her hand away. Her eyes scanned the readings in front of her once before she glanced at Agent Sousa who had been quiet during their exchange but straightened up as their attention was drawn back to him. “Agent Sousa as I clearly won’t be convincing you to go and rest anymore would you mind staying with Daisy for a little while?”

“I don’t need a babysitter.”

“I don’t mind sitting here,” Daniel interrupted before the two of them could argue anymore. “My leg could use some more rest and we all know that I’d be useless in repairing any of this. But Agent Simmons if you’re ok with it, could Agent Johnson help me with that tablet you gave me earlier?”

“That should be harmless,” Jemma said with a glance at Daisy who nodded and shot Sousa a grateful look. It would benefit them both; he deserved a crash course in their tech if he was going to keep helping and she needed the distraction before the weight of everything pulled her under.

“I’ll come back in a few hours to check your vitals. If everything looks good, I’ll release you from medical,” Jemma said as the voices in the hall rose.

“Go, we’re fine here,” Daisy said. Jemma nodded and rushed from the room.

Daisy breathed in again, pushed her pain down, and turned back to Sousa.

“So, they gave you a tablet,” she said, watched as he paused for a second, prayed he would get the hint and then felt an overwhelming sense of relief when he nodded.

“Left it in here earlier because Simmons had just shown me how to turn it on before something started sparking and she had to fix it,” he said as he grabbed the thing from a nearby table and scooted his chair closer to the bed. “That happen often?”

“Only on days that end with y. You’ll get used to it the longer you stick with us,” she snorted before she paused. “Unless were you still thinking of going?”

“No,” he shook his head. “I’m where I should be.”

She gave him a small smile that he returned and she had to admit it was a nice look on him. He hadn’t done much smiling since he’d come aboard and after everything she would not have blamed him for leaving.

She was glad that he decided to stay.

“I remember your voice,” she commented as he set the tablet on the edge of the bed. “Thank you for keeping me awake. For the story.”

“I’m glad it helped,” he told her. “Thanks for the glass.”

“Glad you found a use for it,” she said as she flexed the hand she’d buried it in and felt it ache in response. “Sorry I missed seeing you in action.”

“Still early in the day. Might still have to punch our way out of something,” he told her.

“I really hate that you’re probably right,” she grumbled.

“Agent Johnson-”

“Daisy,” she interrupted. “You save my life you get to call me Daisy.”

“Daisy,” he restarted. “Do you want to-”

“No,” she responded. “Not yet. I can’t. I want to help you start your crash course in technology Agent Sousa.”

“Daniel,” he corrected. “You save my life you get to call me Daniel.”

“Daniel it is then. I just need to breathe for a minute first.”

“Alright,” he said as he powered the tablet on. “I bet I can even give you hours trying to teach me.”

“You’re going to be a quick study,” she told him. “I can tell. Now, let’s start with the basics of what a tablet is and then we can move onto the internet and what’s going to be your new best friend, Google.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the feedback. Writing these two has been marvelous so far.

“Quick study,” she remarked as she watched him swipe through another web page a look of wonder on his face. “I told you.”

“This, all of this information is just out there?”

“It is,” she smiled at him. “Though remember what I said.”

“If it’s on the internet I should check it with five other sources and still take it with a grain of salt,” he repeated. “Because anyone can put something out of there and a lot of it is bullshit.”

“Exactly,” she said as she turned the tablet towards her, aware of his eyes on her hands as she zipped through a few pages and bookmarked them. “Though these sites are reputable so you can start with those. I’ll set you up with access to our records as well, read only for now until you get more comfortable with the tech.”

“Right,” he nodded. “Don’t want to accidentally delete something important.”

“I’ll add retrieving back-up files to a future tutorial,” she promised. “So how are you doing? Really doing?”

“Honestly? It’s a lot,” he responded with a shake of his head as he turned the tablet off and set it off to the side. “I knew the world was changing. Howard’s tech was proof of that but just seeing this,” he waved a hand at the plane. “All of this it’s a lot.”

“I can’t even begin to imagine what you’re going through,” she said. “But if it’s any consolation I think you’re handling this a lot better than I think anyone could have anticipated. You just jumped right into the fight.”

“World needs saving,” he shrugged. “It’s what I joined the SSR for after the war, why I stayed on with SHIELD when it transitioned. I wanted to make a difference outside of the uniform. The time travel and the aliens are new but a world that needs help isn’t.”

“Huh,” she brought her legs up to wrap her arms around them and rested her head on her knees. “Explains a lot about you.”

“Good or bad?”,” he asked, eyebrow raised as he leaned back in the chair and crossed his arms across his chest.

“Good,” she assured him.

“What about you? What made you join?”

“Coulson,” she murmured. “He arrested me.”

“Arrested you?”

“Before this I was what you called a hacktivist. I broke into computers and took information that I thought the public should be made aware of.” she explained. “Coulson and the team were investigating something at the same time I was, caught onto me and brought me in to see what I knew. I ended up helping them with the situation and I was going to leave, get back to the hacker lifestyle but then he offered me a spot with the team. I was curious enough to stay at the time and then it became something more.”

“Good instincts on his part,” Daniel commented. “Coulson saw your potential. And if you were as good a hacktivist as you are an agent, he clearly knew it was better to have you on our side.”

“I’m an amazing hacker thank you,” she said. “And he’s, no he _was_ good at that, bringing out the good in people.”

He opened his mouth to say something but the conversation was interrupted by the sound of increasingly loud voices coming from the hall.

“If we can’t come to an agreement, we need to talk to her,” May insisted.

“We will, but she needs to rest,” Jemma insisted.

“Simmons she needs to know,” Elena added.

“You know she can hear you and this would go a lot faster if you just came in the room to talk to her,” she shouted and she shared an amused look with Daniel as the voices were immediately replaced with footsteps until the rest of their crew was in her room. “Hi guys. What are we fighting about?”

“We’re not fighting about anything,” Jemma answered. “We are merely having a conversation about the best course of action for repairs.”

“Sounds like a fight to me,” Daniel commented but quickly shut his mouth at the looks he got.

“Agent Sousa is correct, it was a fight, civilized, but a fight nonetheless Director Johnson,” Enoch interjected as he ignored the looks being turned on him. Daisy was about to ask for more information on the disagreement but paused at Enoch’s choice of words.

“Director Johnson?” she asked.

“Yes,” Enoch responded. “Agents Mackenzie and Coulson made it clear that should something happen to either of them that you would take on the role of Director of SHIELD.”

“What?” Daisy asked as she unwrapped her arms from around her legs and let them fall back to the bed.

“You are now Acting Director of SHIELD until we can recover Agent Mackenzie,” Enoch elaborated. “And given that the group cannot come to a consensus on the appropriate course of action and that you are awake and lucid the decision on the matter in question will need to fall to you.”

“He’s right,” May told her. “You’re the Director now.”

“But, I, what?”

Daisy felt like she was going to faint. It had never occurred to her that they would need to appoint an _Acting Director_ while Mack and Deke were gone. She had discussed the need for a contingency plan with Mack and Coulson ages ago. She had even reluctantly agreed to take up the mantle should something happen but that had been when they were on Earth and in their own time. She never thought it would mean right now.

She wasn’t ready for this. But when had she been ready for anything else that had happened in her wacky life?

“I know it’s a lot to take in,” May told her. “But Enoch is right. We need help making a decision.”

“Ok,” she breathed. “What’s the problem?”

“We need parts to repair the ship,” Jemma told her. “And I think the best way to get them is to do another jump.”

“I agree with Agent Simmons,” Enoch added. “While it is a risk, I feel that it is one that we need to take in order to make the necessary repairs that will allow us to retrieve Agents Mackenzie and Shaw.”

“And you two disagree?” she said with a look to May and Elena who nodded.

“I want them back as much as anyone but we just got the ship stabilized enough to not jump again,” Elena told her. “I think it’s too risky.”

“Agreed, we need to try and make repairs here, get Mack and Deke, and then we can jump somewhere to find better parts,” May added. “If we jump now how do we even now we’ll end up in a useful time period?”

“Alright,” she held a hand up to stave off the coming argument as her other hand reached for Sousa’s tablet. She held it up in a silent question and turned it on after he nodded. “Schematics and diagnostics still-”

“Yes,” Jemma responded. Daisy nodded and let her hands dance across the screen, overrode any restrictions that had been on the tablet and gave herself full access to the latest diagnostics report on the ship. She frowned as she looked it over. They’d taken a lot of damage getting out of the seventies and May was right, if they tried another jump what’s to say they wouldn’t end up back in the Ice Age.

“I agree with May and Elena, another jump would be too risky,” she said with a look to the group. “I’m not ruling it out but it needs to be our last option. Can we band aid it with materials on the Zephyr for now to make the jump more stable?”

“Like what?”

“What about one of those cars in your holding bay?” Daniel suggested as all eyes turned to him. “I know from your perspective it’s old but they’re built well. I think they could take a beating in a machine like this. Could we make those parts work?”

“Jemma? Enoch?”

“It could be possible but I’m not sure any of us knows enough about those cars to take them apart and not ruin what we might need.”

“Well you’re in luck that you have an old guy who knows cars on board,” Sousa told them. “Get me some tools and give me a few hours. I’ll take it apart and you can do whatever it is you need to in order to make a plane sized band-aid.”

“There is a chance that could work,” Enoch responded. “We could scan the vehicles to see which one might be the most useful.”

“I’ll modify one of the scanners,” Jemma nodded. “Should take me fifteen minutes.”

“And May and I can try and find you some normal tools while she does that,” Elena offered.

“We’ll scrounge up some clothes you can ruin too,” May added before she turned her gaze to Daisy. “If the Director agrees?”

“Let’s give it a go,” she said. “Our priority needs to be making the jump more stable so we can get Mack and Deke. The only thing that overtakes it is another Chronicom attack. Understood?”

“Understood,” May nodded before she turned to the others. “Let’s let the Director rest. We have some work to do.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you as always for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are firmly in AU/Canon Divergence Territory now. 
> 
> I had originally intended to try and finish this before the latest episode but found I couldn't stop writing!
> 
> For purposes of this story 7x7 and 7x8 have not happened yet and as much as it pains me I am acknowledging that particular ENDGAME plot line that I typically ignore.

She eased herself down onto the floor of the holding bay just as she heard a rather colorful curse coming from below the pick-up truck she and Deke had stolen in the thirties.

“You know I don’t even think they say that one anymore,” she mused as she adjusted the backpack she’d thrown the rest of her supplies in and made her way over to where Sousa was. 

“Aren’t you supposed to be resting?” he asked as he continued to bang around underneath the truck.

“My vitals are normal, Simmons let me go."

“And I seem to remember something about her saying she’d let you go to rest in your bunk. Unless you live down here?”

“I might, you don’t know,” she countered as she claimed a spot of clean floor space and started pulling out the bags contents. “I hate being still when everyone else is so busy. I decided to take a break from resting to check on everyone’s progress. I also brought you a sandwich.”

“A sandwich?”

“Simmons mentioned she didn’t know if you’d eaten since you got here,” she commented. “We’re terrible hosts for not checking.”

“Not like there wasn’t a reason,” he said as he scooted out from under the car and Daisy had to pause a second. May had managed to find him a pair of cargo pants to wear but he’d just taken his dress shirt off and left the tank top on. A tank top that was now covered in sweat and oil along with the rest of him. She had to force herself not to stare as he wiped his hands with an old rag. It had been a _long_ time since she’d found herself wanting to look at someone like that. She found that she kind of missed the feeling even if she didn’t quite know what to make of this one.

All she did know was that Simmons had _not_ been lying about the muscles and she enjoyed the closer look as she held the wrapped food to him.

“Sorry it isn’t anything fancy.”

“Hey after the war any food that’s not a war ration is good,” he responded as he grabbed the food. “You want to join me? I can split it in half.”

“I brought my own food,” she grinned as she pulled out a carton of ice cream and a spoon.

“What is-”

“Meet Ben and Jerry,” she said as she popped the top. “They make ice cream in all sorts of flavors, put it into these delightful containers where the serving size says you can make it last over multiple sittings but no one ever listens to those.”

“Ice Cream for dinner?”

“As the new Acting Director of SHIELD I deserve it,” she answered as she dug in while he did the same with his food. “They have ice cream back in the stone ages?”

“Yes, we had ice cream,” he responded. “Just not whatever flavor that is.”

“Strawberry cheesecake,” she said as took one bite and then another before she offered the carton and spoon to him. So far, he’d only seen the bad and the crazy side of things around here and if he was going to continue on with them, he deserved to know about the good. “I don’t mind sharing. I promise I don’t have cooties.”

“Cooties are still a thing in the future?” he asked as he took the offered carton and spoon and took a bite. 

“They are,” she watched in delight as his eyes widened in shock as he swallowed. “I know right?”

“That’s ice cream?” he said as he took another bite before she reached over and rescued her dinner before he could eat the whole thing.

“It is,” she said. “Leaps and bounds huh?”

“I’ll say,” he said. “Makes me wonder why I don’t have ice cream for dinner.”

“Finish your sandwich and I’ll share more,” she said as she took another bite before she gestured to the mess of parts around them. “Looks like things are going well down here?”

“They’re going,” he said. “Agent Simmons and Enoch gave me some pictures of things that might be useful. I’ve been able to get a few and then found others that could substitute.”

“Good,” she nodded as he finished half of his sandwich and held the other half out to her.

“As good as that ice cream is it can’t be very filling and I’m guessing you need to build up your strength,” he commented. “Peggy used to tell me what Steve Rogers had to eat in a day to keep up. I can imagine it’s the same with you.”

“It’s not a serum,” she said.

“I know, I heard you tell Malick. Genetics or not I’m guessing that it takes a lot out of you to use those powers and with two members down we’re going to need you at full strength,” he explained. “Also, maybe I want your ice cream.”

“And your real motives comes out,” she commented as she ate three bites in rapid succession. He laughed and she decided that it was something she’d like to hear more of. It matched his smiles which were showing up just a little bit more when he was in her presence. Combined it was enough to encourage her to complete his offered trade. “I hope you appreciate my sacrifice,” she told him solemnly as she took a bite of the traded sandwich.

“Duly noted Director Johnson.”

“Can’t say I saw that coming,” she said as she finished the off the sandwich. “I mean we’d talked about it but-”

“But it’s one thing to say yes when it’s a theoretical and another when it’s real,” he finished.

“I don’t think I’m ready for this,” she muttered. “You don’t want the job do you? You were a chief.”

“Oh no, I’m good with being a lowly agent again,” he said. “But if it’s any consolation I think you’re doing a good job.”

“I’ve been at it for all of three hours give it time,” she commented. “I wish Coulson were here.”

The pain in her gut rushed back and made its way upwards from where she’d pushed it down. Coulson would know exactly what to say right now and the direction to take instead of leaving it being left up to her. She really wasn’t ready for this but what else could she do? The team needed her, Mack and Deke needed her, hell the Universe needed her and she had to be ok with it.

“Hey.”

She jumped when she felt the brush of a cold hand against hers. Cold but steady and she found herself grateful for the way he’d pulled her out of her thoughts before she could get to far under.

She liked the way his hand felt against hers and she thought he looked just a little disappointed when he pulled away after he had her attention.

“I didn’t say it earlier but I’m sorry about Agent Coulson.”

“Me too,” she blinked back the tears that rose unbidden and shook her head. “He was a good man. And for all we know he survived you know?”

“But Agent Simmons said it was an explosion,” Daniel told her gently but she shook her head.

“I know but it’s not his first rodeo with dying. It’s happened before and he’s come back.”

“Is he like you?”

“No but I guess the argument could be made without all the context," she mused. “I’ll send you some mission reports. Answer any questions you have after you read them.”

“Sounds like something out of the pictures.”

“Mine as well be,” she snorted as she leaned against the truck. “Is it wrong to hope that’s the case? I don’t know if I can mourn him again.”

“No, hope is never wrong,” he told her. “Never would have made it through the war if I didn’t have hope. But what if he’s really gone?”

“We complete the mission. Save the world and we let him rest this time.”

“And you?”

“I’ll make it through, I always do,” she offered him a small smile. “If you want, I can send you some information on me too. I’m sure you have questions about what I am.”

“I do,” he shrugged as he bit back into the ice cream. “But I think I’d rather hear the answers from you. When you’re ready. And for the record? I don’t think anyone is ready to be Director. Except maybe Peggy Carter. She was born for the role.”

“Do you want to know about her?”

“Not yet,” he shook his head. “Someday though I want to read up on what history makes of her.”

“She’s a hero,” Daisy offered.

“She always was,” Daniel told her as he held the carton out to her and let her finish the last few bites. “You must be pretty bored if you thought to make a sandwich for an old guy like me.”

“You’re not old.”

“The grey hair says otherwise.”

“No, I like it. Makes you look distinguished,” she said and he looked at her in surprise. Right. He was from the fifties and was likely not used to women speaking their minds with regards to anyone’s appearance like they did in hers. “So, should probably tell you this now but women in the future? Not like they were in the fifties. But if that was too forward I apologize and you just need to tell me and-”

“Daisy,” he interrupted. “I'd guessed women were different. I was hoping it meant they got some more respect because God knows Peggy had to fight far too hard for it when she was clearly the best agent we had.”

“We’ve definitely made some progress, still have a long way to go but it’s definitely not like it was where you come from,” she said.

“Good. I want to hear all about it,” he grinned. And as for the other thing, I don’t mind. It’s flattering. Now how much do you know about cars?”

“Fair bit,” she responded. “Before SHIELD I was living in a van so I had to know how to fix things. Why?”

“Would you like to get your hands dirty?” he said as he gestured back towards the truck. “Taking it apart will be easier with two of us. But only if you’re feeling up for it. I don’t want to feel Agent Simmons wrath if you hurt yourself. She’s small but I get the feeling she packs a punch.”

“And knows how to hide a body,” Daisy offered and he laughed again.

“Right, so if you can promise you won’t let me be in her line of fire-”

“You won’t,” she said. “I promise to be careful but are you sure I won’t slow you down? I knew my van but a truck from the thirties is a whole different story.”

“You’ll be a quick study,” he said. “Let’s get to work and you can tell me all about how women in the future are different than what I know. Aside from thinking I’m distinguished. Can tell you that’s not what I usually hear.”

“And just what did you hear Agent Sousa?” she asked as she returned their spoon back to her backpack and tossed it to the side. She watched him crawl under the truck and let herself appreciate the view again without fear of being caught as she threw her hair up in a ponytail and followed. It was a tight fit, but they managed to settle comfortably on their backs. “Can I guess what they used to say?”

“Sure, should be funny,” he commented as he switched on a light he’d attached to one of the pipes and reached for the papers Enoch had left him with earlier to pin them next to it with magnets. 

“Hmm did they say you were handsome? Talented? Husband material?”

He laughed and shook his head.

“Not a lot of women want a husband with a fake leg. Don’t get me wrong, there were a few relationships but general consensus was a no thank you,” he commented as he pointed to the papers. “I’ve checked off what I’ve managed to find. Everything else is fair game. If you think you see something that could substitute let me take a look.”

“Got it. Those women who said no thank you were idiots. You’d probably make a great husband,” she said as she turned her attention to the truck. “Did we take you away from one of the few?”

“No,” he shook his head. “There hasn’t been any since Peg and I, well, we tried, we really did, but her star was rising and the West Coast office was always busy and there was always something more important than us. We kind of faded out. And when I thought we could make another go of it, Captain America rose from the dead and there is really no competing with that guy. I couldn’t even hate him because he was so nice when I met him. But,” he breathed. “I can’t begrudge them their happiness. They both deserve it.”

“So do you,” Daisy told him. “And I still standby my earlier statement, those other women, Peggy Carter being the exception, are idiots.”

“What about you Johnson?”

“What about me?”

“You got someone special waiting for you in the future?”

“Oh no,” she chuckled as she watched his hands join her in the belly of the truck. “There was someone, a few years ago but he died. Thought there could have been something with someone else but they had another mission to complete and as far as I know they’re still working it. No time really. Always another mission, always a world that needs saving.”

“I’m sorry for your loss,” he said and she turned back to him and gave him a small smile.

“It’s ok,” she assured. “I’ve mourned. He died doing good and that’s the way he would have wanted it.”

“Still doesn’t make it hurt any less,” he commented as he yanked something out and held it up to the paper. “What do you think?”

She paused her work to grab the part along with him, squinted at the picture he had pointed at and nodded.

“Might work, toss it with the others,” she said. “And you’re right about the hurt. Time’s helped but it’s still there.”

“What about the one still on the mission?”

“It was years ago, I’m a different person now and I’m willing to bet he is too. I hope he’s alright though,” she shrugged. “Hey, maybe we can find you someone after we save the world. Twenty-twenty is going to love you. We can prove all those dumbasses in the fifties wrong.”

“You trying to make an honest man out of me?”

“I could be. But if we’re getting married you should probably at least take me to dinner first,” Daisy commented as she paused her exploration of the truck to direct her stare to him only to find that he had not gone back to his work after his latest discovery and was now staring at her.

He looked a little surprised but he also had a spark in his eye that told her he might also be a little bit intrigued.

She liked the way it looked on him.

She liked him.

_Oh._

The realization wasn’t quite the gut punch she thought it would be. She knew that there was part of her that would always love Lincoln and treasure the time they had had together but she knew the last he would have wanted was for her to be unhappy. She’d thought that there was a possibility with Robbie but she thought that’s all it would ever be.

This felt different. Felt like it had the ability to be _real._

It had been so long she’d felt like that.

She wondered if it was smart to possibly get involved with someone from the past who had already had curve ball after curve ball thrown at them.

But he’d handled everything so far with such grace. 

She could do a hell of a lot worse than Daniel Sousa.

“A guy could get ideas,” he commented casually.

“Ideas are good,” she countered. “Right?”

“Love ideas,” he said. “But I’m pretty sure the ones I’m having now are, in fact, crazy.”

“But?

“Could be the good kind of crazy,” he said. “And I’d be ok with the good kind of crazy.”

“Me too,” she said. “How do you feel about coffee?”

“Love it.”

“Tomorrow morning, kitchen. Be there or be square.”

“Got it,” he said as he held her gaze for a second longer, a smile on his face before he turned back to the truck at the same time she did. “So, women’s rights?”

“My favorite topic, now to start with we’re going to need to go on a mental journey to the sixties and a little thing history calls the Sexual Revolution.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you as always for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So we've come to the end of this story but I am in no way shape or form done with this AU yet. I just felt that this part of the came to an organic stopping point in the journey.
> 
> I promise I've already started work on a sequel to incorporate events in episodes 7x07 and 7x08.

She stared at the ceiling of the Zephyr from her bunk and huffed. She’d all but ordered everyone to get some rest after she and Daniel had stripped the bottom of the truck. It had been late and everyone except Enoch had looked _done_.

Simmons had tried to protest but Daisy had made the successful argument that in order to do this patch job right the first time they all had to be at their best.

She’d made the call because no one else had been willing and was now failing miserably at following her own orders because all her brain could seem to do was think about Malick, her mother, Whitehall, and Coulson.

She thought about Daniel too and about the possibilities there and that seemed to be enough to drive away the worst of the other thoughts.

But not enough to let her sleep.

She knew she could talk to May or Jemma but the last thing she wanted to do was saddle May with her emotions and Jemma had so much going on these days that she didn’t want to burden her with something else.

“Damn it,” she muttered as she sat up, scrubbed her hands through her hair, reached for her tablet and then sighed when she realized it was dead and she’d left the charging port in their living room. “Of course.”

She debated it for all of two minutes before she crawled out of bed, winced at the tingling in her still healing body and opened the door to her bunk to make her way down the darkened corridor. If she couldn’t sleep, she figured she could at least get a jump on the coding Jemma needed to get done to make the truck parts work after she and Enoch were done with them.

She was quiet as she walked past the other bunks, pleased to see that even Jemma’s door was closed and that it appeared that almost everyone had listened to her request.

Almost everyone being the keyword there.

She sighed as she walked past the open door of their latest recruit and found Daniel Sousa sitting on couch in the living room, dressed in the sweatpants and t-shirt they’d managed to find with his tablet in his lap though his gaze had turned towards her when she’d entered. 

She didn’t say anything as she stepped into the room, made her way over to the couch, and sat down on the other end. She noted the way his eyes widened at the sight of her and maybe delighted just a bit in the way his gaze traveled down before it focused on her face. He’d been surprised by their earlier conversation, shocked at parts, but overall accepting of what she’d told him; but she realized what she’d told him was once again _a lot_ to process and she realized that the tank top and leggings she had on probably made her seem naked. But he didn't say anything about it which made her take pity.

“So, sweatpants. Did those exist back in the day?”

“They did. I just never wore them to bed,” he commented after a moment. “Mostly it was to work out and they weren’t that comfortable.”

“But now?”

“These are nice,” he said as he rubbed a hand against the material. “Soft. What are those?” he asked as he pointed to her attire.

“Leggings,” she responded. “They’re super popular in my time. People wear them to bed, to workout, to run errands. Same with sweatpants. It’s called Athleisure.”

“And no one owns a good suit anymore?”

“They do,” she chuckled. “But people like being business casual now. I’ll work on a primer for you. Fashion through the ages.”

“I don’t know if I should be excited or terrified.”

“Both,” she said. “Especially when we get to parachute pants.”

“I don’t think I want to know.”

“Oh, but you will, if we all have to know about them so do you,” she told him solemnly. “What’s got you up tonight?”

“Nothing, everything,” he shook his head. “Been circling back to the barn a lot.”

“Ah,” she said. “Welcome to the club. Brains are funny about that kind of stuff, aren’t they?”

“Guess so,” he shrugged. “Can I say you seem to be doing alright with it though?”

“You can,” she said as she put her tablet down and hugged her knees to her chest. “And then I would have to tell you it’s not the first time I’ve been through something like this. Hell, it’s not even my second time.”

“That explains why you kept saying it happened before then,” he commented and she tilted her head. “You were pretty out of it, kept saying the name Jiaying. Was she a member of your team?”

“She was my mother,” Daisy answered quietly, watched as his face shifted from questioning to shocked. “And like me, she had powers, except her gift involved rapid healing abilities and a way to avoid aging. You can imagine how interesting those traits would be to a Hydra Officer.”

“I can begin to,” he swallowed. “Did she-”

“She survived it but it killed her at the same time,” she responded. “It cost her everything in the end.”

He sucked in a breath at the admission but he didn’t say anything and she was so grateful that he understood that the last thing she wanted was comforting words. Instead she was surprised when he just put his hand, palm up, in the space between them and squeezed when she reached over and laced her fingers with his. 

It was the right amount of grounding she needed to finish.

“I didn’t get to grow up with my parents because of HYDRA. We found each other as adults but I didn’t understand why she became what she did then. I do now. I’ll never agree with her choices but I can see how and I hate them for what they did to her.”

“I hate that Hydra is still a problem,” Daniel offered. “That we weren’t able to route it out.”

“You couldn’t have known,” she told him. “Or I guess you did but-”

“But I died,” he finished. “Hydra ruins everything don’t they?”

“They really do,” she muttered as silence descended upon them at that depressing thought. She didn’t think it was possible to hate Hydra more but she did but here they were adding to her ever growing list of things to be mad about. They hadn’t stopped them when they had the chance; and in the grand scheme of things, she knew Mack had been right but it still burned. “I hate that they’ve contributed to so many of my sleepless nights. I’m tired Daniel. I’m so tired.”

“Yeah I know the feeling,” he rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand and she breathed. The subject of her mother always drained her but today was different. Earlier she’d been busy enough to push it down but in the dark, everything came back tenfold. It was nice to have someone here to hold her hand through it. “But maybe you should still try and sleep. And before you say anything, I realize that makes me a hypocrite.”

“We both deserve to sleep,” she said. “Do you want to come sleep with me?”

The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them but once they were in the open, she found that she didn’t regret them. For his part, Daniel looked surprised by the offer but he didn’t say no.

“Just sleep, no pressure,” she said as she gently disengaged their hands, grabbed her tablet, the charging port she needed, and made her way out of the living room. She paused for just a moment at the doorway to look back. “Your call. I realize it’s not really what happens where you’re from so I promise that I won’t be offended or mad if you decide not to. We’ll still have our coffee in a few hours either way.”

“But?”

“But I’ll leave my door open for a little while.”

She quietly made her way back to her bunk, set her tablet up to charge along with setting up her alarm before she turned to find Daniel Sousa nervously standing in her doorway.

“You’re sure?” he asked.

“I’m sure,” she said as she scooted back in her bed and laid down against the side closest to the wall. She watched as he seemed to have an internal debate with himself before he sighed and stepped the rest of the way into her space. He closed the door, leaned his cane against the wall, and then sat down on her bed. She watched as he removed his shoes and then carefully pulled the pant leg up so he could remove his prosthetic and let it rest next to his cane before he pushed himself to lay down next to her. “Ok?”

“Yeah,” he said. “Different though, you’re right when you say we couldn’t have done this in my time not without causing a scandal.”

“A scandal? And what do you think now that you’re involved in one?”

“I mean this one’s kind of great,” he mused.

“Kind of?”

“You can come closer,” he said. “If you want that is. No pressure.”

She rolled her eyes, grabbed his arm, and lifted it just enough so she could press herself against his side. When she’d laid her head against his chest, she carefully guided his arm back around her until she had his hand at her hip.

“Close enough for you?” she asked as she felt his hand flex against her hip and his thumb brush against her skin where her tank top had ridden up. He was silent as he reached down and pulled one of her arms up so her hand could splay against the other side of his chest.

“Perfect,” he said. “In for a penny, right?”

“Only if you’re sure,” she reiterated.

“Do I feel unsure?” he asked and she glanced up and found his eyes were warm and he looked more relaxed than he had minutes ago. She shook her head, reached up to turn her light off, and laid her head back down on his chest and let the staccato of his heartbeat soothe her in the dark.

“Alarm is set for three hours from now. Should give you time to sneak out if you want to.”

“Do you want me to?”

“No,” she shook her head. “But this is a two-way street.”

“And what would the team think? Seeing a strange man coming out of your bunk?”

“You’re not a strange man,” she poked his chest. “And they wouldn’t say anything to you. They might ask me about it but no more than I’ve asked about their relationships. I can deal with that.”

“Ok,” he said. “Then I’m staying. I said I had to embrace the times. This is me embracing them. Now get some sleep Director Johnson. Don’t think I’ve forgotten that I owe you coffee.”

“Understood Agent Sousa,” she smiled into the dark and closed her eyes, felt the ship vibrating around her and Daniel’s heartbeat steady under her and breathed.

She’d missed having someone next to her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thank you for reading. 
> 
> Stay Tuned, part 2 coming in the near future. I'm in deep on this pairing in a way I haven't been for one in a hot minute.

**Author's Note:**

> As always thank you for reading.
> 
> Also has there been an agreement on a ship name yet?


End file.
